Electronic player pianos are controlled based on signals from floppy disks and CD ROMs using known digital playing devices. However, the selection of available performances on floppy disks and CD ROMs for controlling a player piano is limited. Significantly, there is no way to have live performances played on a player piano from remote locations.
Live musical performances can be broadcast over the Internet and played on a personal computer using a "plug-in" such as crescendo by live update on the speakers associated with the computer. However, many prefer a simulation of the live performance by an instrument such as a player piano instead of being played on computer speakers.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method for controlling musical instruments, such as player pianos, over the Internet. This would allow a live performance to be played on a player piano. This would also allow users, through a subscription service, to have access to unlimited numbers of prerecorded performances associated with a web site and which can be selected by a subscriber. Advantageously, the prerecorded performances would be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week. A method of using such a service would be available on a subscription basis in which any live performance in the world could be offered to the public on a pay-per-performance basis and also a subscription service would be available for the prerecorded performances.